Lighted doorbell with pad



Sept. 8, 1942. v. THOMPSON LIGHTED DOORBELL WITH PAD Filed May 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l IF no oNE's HOME PLEASE WRITE YouR MESSAGE "Sept. 8, 1942. A. v. THOMPSON LIGHTED DOORBELL WITH PAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1941 Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNETED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

LIGHTED DOORBELL WITH PAD Anthony V. Thompson, Detroit, Mich. Application May 16, 1941, Serial No. 393,829

4 Claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for attachment to front doors, including a pad holder and pad, means for normally holding the pad holder in closed position; a pencil holder connected to the pad holder, and electric means for illuminating the pad when in use and a push button carried by the device and connected to a suitable doorbell, chimes or the like.

I attain these and other objects of my invention by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front plan view of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same attached to a door, the open position of the pad holder being indicated by dot and dash lines;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the light shade is formed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the pad holder is formed;

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section through the lower portion of the pad holder showing the electrical connections;

Fig. 6 is a detached detail top plan of the members which hold the pencil; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are front plan views of the wiring. Fig. '7 being the wiring for a one-light model, while Fig. 8 represents the wiring for a two-light model.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the severalviews.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my device includes a base I which is fastened to a door or" the adjacent wall by suitable means such as screws 1, and which has a light shield and reflector 2, the sides 2a of which carry tongues 2b, which are inserted through suitable slots in the base and thus secured to it. A pad holder 3 is mounted on the base I by means of a suitable hinge bar l3. This pad holder 3 holds a. pad 3a, and is operated by a pull knob 4. The pad holder 3 carries a notice to callers to the effect that if no one is home, the caller should write a message. This notice is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The illumination of one of the light bulbs will focus attention on this notice, on which light is thrown by the reflector 2. At one side of and adjacent the pad holder are clips 5 and 6 for holding the pencil 8, member 6 being of smaller diameter than the member 5, thereby preventing the pencil from sliding through the lower holder, as shown in Fig. 1.

Within the light shield and reflector 2 are mounted spaced light bulbs 9 and 9a seated in sockets Ill. The base I carries a suitable electric push button H for sounding a conventional electric door bell (not shown). Hinge bar I3 is held in place at each end by suitable cotter pins l2. A suitable coil spring I4 attached to the pad holder and to the base I tends to swing the pad holder to a vertical closed position. A suitable insulation block l5, preferably of Bakelite, is mounted on the inside surface of base I. Spaced below members [5 and l5a is a tongue terminal 56 which is integral with or afiixed to the bottom portion of pad holder 3 and which pivots on the hinged bar I3 and is adapted to swing from a horizontal position out of contact with member l5a, as shown in Fig. 5, to a vertical position in contact with metal plate I501. when the pad holder is itself swung to a horizontal or open position,-

as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus completing an electric circuit from wire l8, which is connected to plate l5a, to wire H, which is connected to tongue terminal l6.

Referring to Fig. '7 of the drawings, there is illustrated a wiring suitable for a one-light device with a wire [9 extending from the light bulb 9 to the push button ll andra wire 29 extending from the light bulb 9 to a suitable source of electric current, such as a battery. In this form of the invention, when the pad holder 3 is lowered from a vertical to a horizontal position, the tongue terminal [6 contacts with plate I50, thus closing the electric circuit and lighting the light bulb 9 and sounding the electric bell, buzzer or chimes. The conventional electric bell, or buzzer or chimes is sounded by pressing on the push button H. The arrangement of wiring shown effects the lighting of light bulb 9 when and while the push button II is pressed. Light bulb 9 is also lighted when the pad holder 3 is lowered, bringing terminal 5 into contact with plate [5a, and the light bulb stays lighted as long as the pad holder is held down maintaining this electric contact. In this form of the invention the element 9a is not connected. (See Fig. '7.)

Referring to Fig. 8, there is illustrated the wiring for a two-light device having light bulbs 9a and 9, and having a wire 22 leading from a source of electric current to the light bulb 9a, and a wire 2| leading from said light bulb to the metal plate l5a. In this form, as in Fig. '7, when the tongue terminal 16 contacts with plate l5a it closes the electric circuit and lights the bulb 9a., the wire l1 being connected with a source of electric current. Push button II, in Fig. 8, is connected by wire 19 with electric bulb 9, while wire 29 leads from the bulb 9 to a source of electric current.

In operation, when the pad. holder 3 is pulled down to a horizontal position its tongue terminal I6 is swung in an arc from the horizontal position shown in Fig. to the vertical position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby to contact with metal plate I5a to close the electric circuit and illuminate the light bulb 9 (in the form shown in Fig. 7) or the bulb 9a (in the form shown in Fig. 8).

The pencil 8 may then be withdrawn from the holders 5 and 6 by the visitor and used to Write a message on the writing pad 3a in the event no one answers the doorbell which is sounded by the operation of the push button I I. If and when the pad holder is pulled down to a horizontal position, the electric light bulb 9 of Fig. '7 will be illuminated as a result of the contact of member IS with member [5a. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 8 the light bulb So will be illuminated when the pad holder is brought down to a horizontal position, resulting in the contact of member l6 with member I511. The other light bulb 9of Fig. 8' will be illuminated when the push button H is pressed to ring the door bell. The light from the light bulbs is reflected by reflector 2 onto the writing pad 3a.

The pad holder 3 carries a card bearing the request to write a message on the pad if no one is at home.

What I claim is:

1. In a lighted door bell with pad, the combination of a base adapted to be fastened to the door frame or door, an electric door bell push button on the lower portion of the base, a hinged pad holder mounted on the base in proximity to the push button, spring means normally holding the pad holder in vertical and closed position, a pad carried by the pad holder, a light reflector aifixed to the base and positioned to reflect light on the pad holder and push button, one or more light bulbs mounted on the base within said reflector to illuminate the pad and push button, and means carried by the pad holder for closing an electric circuit and lighting one of the light bulbs when the pad holder is swung to an open horizontal position for use in writing on the pad.

2. In combination with the device defined in claim 1, a pair of spaced clips mounted on the base at one side of the pad holder, the lower clip being of less diameter than the upper clip and of suitable size to receive and hold a pencil, substantially as shown.

3. In a lighted door bell with pad, the combination of a base adapted to be fastened to the door frame or door, an electric door bell push button on the base, a hinged pad holder mounted on the base in proximity to the push button, spring means normally holding the pad holder in closed position, a pad carried by the pad holder, a light reflector positioned to reflect light on the pad holder, one or more light bulbs mounted on the base within said reflector to illuminate the pad holder and pad, and means carried by the pad holder for closing an electric circuit and lighting a light bulb when the pad holder is swung to an open horizontal position for use in writing on the pad.

4. In a lighted door bell with pad, the combination of a base adapted to be fastened to the door frame or door, an electric door bell push button on the base, a hinged pad holder mounted on the base, said pad holder adapted to support indicia on the exterior surface thereof, spring means normally holding the pad holder in closed position to display the aforesaid exterior surface, a pad carried by the pad holder, a light reflector positioned to reflect light on the pad holder, a pair of spaced light bulbs mounted on the base within. said reflector, means carried by the pad holder for closing an electric circuit and lighting one of the light bulbs when the pad holder is swung to an open horizontal position for-use in writing on the pad, and wiring connecting the other light bulb with the push button and electric door bell to light said other bulb when the push button is pressed whereby the said exterior surface is illuminated.

ANTHONY V. THOMPSON. 

